Seiko Epson Corporation

Ngk Insulators, Inc.

Motonori Okumura

Takahiro Katakura

Takaichi Wada

Minoru Usui

Nagamitsu Takashima

Mutsuhiko Ota

Yasuo Inaoka

Kazutoshi Goto

Isao Yanagisawa

Takuma Okamuro

Munehide Kanaya

Nobuo Takahashi

Shinsuke Yano

Kazuhiko Hara

Chang Junhua

Yuji Tanaka

Kohji Watanabe

Tomohiro Yamada

Yoshikatsu Yamamoto

Fujio Akahane

Hiroshige Owaki

Koichi Saito

Natsumi Shimogawa

Tomoaki Abe

Yoshio Miyazawa

Hiroyuki Kamikura

Tadao Furuta

Yasuto Kanai

Keizo Miyata

Kazuyoshi Imai

A liquid ejecting head includes a head main body capable of ejecting a liquid supplied from a liquid storage unit, and a supply member provided with a liquid supply passage for supplying the liquid from the liquid storage unit to the head main body. The supply member has a filter mounting member provided with the liquid supply passage, a supply body that supplies the filter mounting member with the liquid, and a filter provided between the filter mounting member and the supply body. The supply member is provided with an outer portion that fixes the filter mounting member, the supply body, and the filter and that is formed by integral molding.

Liquid ejecting head, method for making the same, and liquid ejecting apparatus

An adjusting unit for making positional adjustment of the optical axis adjustment mask, based on the observation by the one optical unit, such that the reference mark at the one location or the other location and the optical axis adjusting alignment mark corresponding positionally thereto are superposed, and for making optical axis adjustment of the other optical axis, based on the observation by the other optical unit, such that the reference mark at the one location or the other location and the optical axis adjusting alignment mark corresponding positionally thereto are superposed.

Alignment apparatus and alignment method

The invention provides a liquid ejecting head alignment apparatus that is used for positional determination and adhesion of nozzle plates and a fixation member, each of the nozzle plates having nozzle openings through which each of a plurality of liquid ejecting heads ejects liquid and further having alignment marks for positional alignment, the fixation member holding the nozzle-plate side of the plurality of liquid ejecting heads. The liquid ejecting head alignment apparatus according to the invention includes: a mask made of a transparent material, the mask having reference marks each of which is aligned with the corresponding alignment mark; a spacer jig that is provided between the fixation member and the mask in such a manner that the reference marks and the alignment marks are opposed to each other with a space being left therebetween, one surface of the spacer jig being in contact with the fixation member; and a bifocal microscope having an optical axis and two optical systems that shares the optical axis, the optical axis being oriented from a face of the mask that is opposite to the spacer jig side thereof toward the alignment mark via the reference mark and the space, one of the optical systems being capable of focusing on the reference mark, and the other thereof being capable of focusing on the alignment mark.

Liquid ejecting head alignment apparatus and liquid ejecting head alignment method

An alignment apparatus, which is used when positioning and joining a plurality of workpieces relative to each other, each workpiece having a plurality of alignment marks for alignment, the alignment apparatus includes: a transparent mask provided with reference marks with which the alignment marks are aligned; a mirror disposed between the mask and the workpiece; an optical unit having an optical axis pointed in a direction of the mirror via the reference mark from a side of the mask opposite to the mirror, the optical unit enabling the reference mark and a virtual image of the reference mark reflected in the mirror to be observed simultaneously; and an adjusting unit for making optical axis adjustment of the optical axis, based on the observation by the optical unit, such that a real image of the reference mark and the virtual image of the reference mark reflected in the mirror are superposed.

Methods for manufacturing a piezoelectric actuator and a liquid ejecting head. In particular, a substrate, which is to be a vibration plate actuated by a piezoelectric element is prepared. A plurality of chip regions are defined on the substrate. A first common electrode of the piezoelectric element is formed on the substrate. A first piezoelectric layer of the piezoelectric element is formed on the first common electrode. A drive electrode of the piezoelectric element is formed on the first piezoelectric layer. A second piezoelectric layer of the piezoelectric element is formed on the drive electrode. A second common electrode of the piezoelectric element is formed on the second piezoelectric layer. Then, the substrate is cut so as to divide the chip regions from one another. In the aforementioned aspects of the invention, the first and second common electrodes as well as the drive electrode are formed so as not to extend beyond the outline of each of the chip regions.

Methods of manufacturing a piezoelectric actuator and a liquid jetting head

A substrate is formed with a chamber having an opening which is defined by first edges extending in a first direction with a first dimension and second edges extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction with a second dimension shorter than the first dimension. A vibration plate is provided on the substrate so as to seal the opening. A first common electrode to be fixed at a predetermined potential is formed on the vibration plate. A first piezoelectric layer is laminated on the first common electrode so as to oppose the chamber. The first piezoelectric layer extends in the first direction such that both end portions thereof in the first direction are beyond the second edges of the opening. A drive electrode to which a drive signal is supplied externally is laminated on the first piezoelectric layer. A second piezoelectric layer is laminated on the drive electrode so as to oppose the chamber. The second piezoelectric layer extends in the first direction such that both end portions thereof in the first direction are beyond the second edges of the opening. A second common electrode to be fixed at the predetermined potential is laminated on the second piezoelectric layer.

Piezoelectric actuator, liquid jetting head incorporating the same, piezoelectric element, and method of manufacturing the same

A method of manufacturing an ink-jety recording head in which an ink supply port forming substrate , a common ink chamber forming substrate , and a nozzle plate are bonded together by inserting between them thermally fusible films and respectively, in which are formed through holes and at two or more positions, and by also filling the film through holes with an adhesive that is mixed with a gap material G for adjusting the thicknesses of the thermally fusible films when they are fused, so as to form a flow path unit ; and then the flow path unit and the actuator units are bonded together by inserting between them a thermally fusible film , in which are through holes at two or more positions, and by also filling the through holes with an adhesive that is mixed with a gap material G for adjusting the thickness of the thermally fusible film when it is fused.

Method of manufacturing an ink-jet recording head using a thermally fusible film that does not close communication holes

A method of manufacturing an actuator including an ink pump section made by forming a spacer plate with a plurality of window portions formed therein, a closure plate stacked on one side of the spacer plate for covering the window portions and a connection plate stacked on the other side of the spacer plate for covering the above window portions. These plates are formed as laminated ceramic green sheets that are later fired to form an integrated body. A piezoelectric/electrostrictive operating section composed of electrodes and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer is then formed on the outer surface of the closure plate. Thereafter, the actuator is pasted to a holding adhesive film and the holding adhesive film is stripped from the actuator after subjecting the actuator to a given inspection, if necessary, or to cutting into a given shape, if necessary. Subsequently, the actuator is heat-treated. Then, onto this actuator, an ink nozzle member with a plurality of nozzle holes is stacked and joined. The ink jet print head has a strong adhesive joint between the actuator and the ink nozzle member and improved liquid resistance.

Heat treatment method of actuators for an ink jet printer head and

An actuator for an ink jet printer includes: an ink tank comprising a thick substrate having a cavity structure and a vibrating plate covering a cavity; and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive working portion comprising an upper electrode layer, a lower electrode layer, and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer between the electrode layers, the piezoelectric/electrostrictive working portion being disposed on the ink tank so that the lower electrode layer contacts with the vibrating plate. The upper electrode is trimmed only in the portion where the piezoelectric/electro-strictive layer covers the vibrating plate so as to control an effective electrode area and adjust an ink jet volume to be appropriate. The upper electrode layer is trimmed with the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer covering the vibrating plate at least near the portion to be trimmed of the upper electrode layer so as to control an effective electrode area and adjust an ink jet volume.

Actuator for ink jet printer

A method of inspecting a crack in a ceramic substrate that is not exposed on the surface. The method can detect all cracks and make objective judgement possible by expressing the inspection result as numerical data. Conductors are disposed on both faces of a ceramic substrate, wherein one of the conductors is a conductive liquid; the insulation resistance value or an electric property dependent on the insulation resistance is measured with the conductive liquid or other conductors electrically connected to the conductive liquid which are used as electrodes.

Method of inspecting crack in ceramic substrate

A recess is formed in a surface confronting an actuator unit of an ink supply inlet forming substrate. When a flow path unit and the actuator unit are bonded together using a fusible film, thermally expanded air is released into the recess to thereby reduce pressure. Further, by arranging the recess at a position confronting a pressure generating chamber, an air layer formed by the recess is allowed to function as a vibration shielding member.

Laminated ink jet recording head having flow path unit with recess that

An ink supply port forming substrate 21, a common ink chamber forming substrate 25, and a nozzle plate 27 are bonded together, by inserting between them thermally fusible films 31and 32 respectively, in which are formed through holes 45 and 45 at two or more positions, and by also filling the film through holes with an adhesive that is mixed with a gap material G for adjusting the thicknesses of the thermally fusible films when they are fused, so as to form a flow path unit 30; and then the flow path unit 30 and the actuator units 1 are bonded together by inserting between them a thermally fusible film 33, in which are through holes 64 at two or more positions, and by also filling the through holes with an adhesive that is mixed with a gap material G for adjusting the thickness of the thermally fusible film when it is fused. In this structure, the extruded quantity of the thermally fusible films can be received by the through holes 45 and 64, and the gap materials G can prevent the thermally fusible films from being unnecessarily spread out.

Growing community of inventors

Shiojiri, Japan

Motonori Okumura